"Instead of everyone doing stuff on their own, there is a greater combined effort," he said.

For Broward kindergartners in lower-income areas, their first water-safety instruction often comes from schools, Berman said. Swim Central began in 1999 by providing lessons to schools with high free- and reduced-price lunch ratios, then gradually expanded to offer the lessons to every public and charter school.

The children either take a bus or walk to their local pool, where they learn how to float, roll over on their backs and follow general safety procedures, such as not swimming alone.

This spring, students at 77 Broward public and charter schools will take the lessons. The schedule is staggered across the remainder of the school year. In the fall, 53 schools participated.

Berman said Swim Central doesn't offer lessons in the winter because most schools are reluctant to risk exposing their children to cooler weather, and some principals prefer to wait until FCAT testing ends, even though kindergartners aren't tested.

The idea is to prevent child drownings. In the 1990s, the county averaged about 15 child (age 14 and younger) drownings a year. That number now has been reduced to about 10, with most of those being preschool children.

More cities and nonprofit organizations such as the YMCA are approaching Swim Central for their water-safety pamphlets and information, Berman said, and the group is trying to provide more instruction for preschool children, approaching child-care organizations and trying to schedule summer lessons.

The Broward School Board, the County Commission and the Children's Services Council chip in to cover Swim Central's $1 million budget.

The teamwork is vital because teaching siblings can help prevent drownings.

"How many drowning stories have you read where the victim was playing with a brother or sister and wandered into the water without the parent ever knowing?" Berman said. "We have done well teaching water-safety to kindergartners, but we need to expand it and teach what we can to both older and younger children. One drowning is too many, and it doesn't really matter what age they are."